About the Book

Share the many connections (Tibetan: tendrel) the author feels and sees in the people who are part of Bokar monastery in Mirik, India. Full color photographs capture these connections with people by virtue of their residence or their connection as students, employees, suppliers, trades people, tourists or those who live in nearby villages.

Bokar Monastery is located in Mirik, West Bengal, India near Darjeeling. Founded by the Very Venerable Kyabje Bokar Tulku Rinpoche who died in 2004, the monastery continues to be guided by the Venerable Khenpo Lodro Donyo Rinpoche.

Half of the profits from sales of this book will be donated to Bokar Monastery. The remainder will fund other Tendrel Photography projects exploring connections between people around the world.

About the Author

I love to travel and capture images of connections between people and with their environments, both social and physical. When people see my work, I'd like them to feel a connection with the people or places in my images, not just with the medium in which the images are presented. I believe that these connections actually influence our sense of reality, and increase our compassion for each other and the world we live in. Sharing these images for others to explore makes possible a connection between us that is beneficial to everyone.
What is "Tendrel"?
Tendrel is a Tibetan word made up of "ten", meaning support, and "drel", meaning dependence and conditionality. Thus, "tendrel" points to a view that all phenomena are connected with each other and that nothing we see exists by itself, on its own power. We are interconnected with each other and with everything we experience. Roger attempts to capture the meaning of tendrel in his images.